Fox options ‘Darling’ books

Ballarini puts script together for Jigsaw

Twentieth Century Fox has optioned Sam Llewellyn’s trilogy of “Little Darlings” novels, for Courtney Pledger and Sarah Radclyffe to produce through their London-based Jigsaw Films.

The Darlings are three bad children who manage to chase away every nanny their parents hire. But when Nanny Pete, who is really a burglar in drag, comes to look after them, he sweeps them off into a series of improbable adventures.

The screenplay will be written by Joe Ballarini.

The first novel “Little Darlings” was followed by the sequel “Big Bad Darlings,” with a third installment currently in the works.

The books were brought to Fox by its youth scout Riley Ellis. Fox exec vp of production Debbie Liebling will oversee the project for Fox president Hutch Parker.